Recently, various electronic devices (e.g., TV, video recorder, air conditioner) have been diversified and inexpensive. Thus, the remote control transmitter for remotely controlling them has been desired to be inexpensive while providing secure and reliable operation.
A conventional remote control transmitter will be described with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the conventional remote control transmitter.
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the conventional remote control transmitter.
In FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, case 101 has a substantially box shape and is made of insulating resin. Case 101 has, at the upper face thereof, opening hole 101A and a plurality of through holes 101B.
With regards to wiring substrate 102, an upper face and a lower face thereof have a plurality of wiring patterns (not shown). The upper face of wiring substrate 102 has conductive section 102A and a plurality of fixed contacts 102B. Electronic components such as light-emitting diode 106A, microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as MPU) 106B, crystal oscillator 106C or the like are mounted at the upper face of wiring substrate 102. In this way, control circuit 106 for transmitting a remote control signal is provided.
Crystal oscillator 106C, which is used to provide a timer function or to display time, is formed of two thin plates of quartz crystal and a filament for connecting them. Thus, crystal oscillator 106C has a relatively weak structure. In order to prevent breakage due to impact by the dropping or the like, crystal oscillator 106C is bonded to wiring substrate 102 by adhesive agent 107 (e.g., silicone agent).
Display element 103 is formed of liquid crystal or the like. Elastic connection section 104 is provided by layering a conductive layer and insulative layers. A display section of an upper face of display element 103 is exposed from opening hole 1A of case 101. Then, elastic connection section 104 is attached between wiring substrate 102 and display element 103 such that elastic connection section 104 is vertically flexed. In this way, an upper end and a lower end of elastic connection section 104 have an elastic contact with an electrode (not shown) of a lower face of display element 103 and conductive section 102A respectively, thereby allowing conductive section 102A and display element 103 to be electrically connected.
Movable contact section 105 made of material such as rubber is provided on wiring substrate 102 and is housed in case 101. An upper face of movable contact section 105 has a plurality of dome-shaped depressing sections 105B. Depressing sections 105B are upwardly protruded from through holes 101B of case 101.
A lower face of depressing section 105B of movable contact section 105 has movable contact 105A that is opposed to fixed contact 102B of wiring substrate 102 with a predetermined space therebetween.
Furthermore, wiring substrate 102 is fixed to case 101 by a fixation member (e.g., screw). In the manner as described above, a remote control transmitter is configured.
Hereinafter, a case will be described in which a user uses the remote control transmitter having the above configuration to operate an electronic device by, for example, depressing a prescribed depressing section 105B for power source switching, volume control, or another function. Then, an infrared remote control signal corresponding to this operation is transmitted from control circuit 106 to the electronic device. As a result, ON/OFF of the power source, volume control, or another function of the electronic device is provided remotely.
When the user specifies the time at which the electronic device starts or stops its operation or recording, for example, the user depresses a prescribed depressing section 105B to allow display element 103 to display time, thereby specifying the time. Thereafter, the specified time is transmitted as a remote control signal to the electronic device, and the electronic device memorizes the specified time. According to the above procedure, the electronic device starts or stops its operation or recording at the predetermined time.
A remote control transmitter having a display element formed of liquid crystal and having a similar structure as that of the above-described remote control transmitter is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 3-173198.
In the above-described conventional remote control transmitter, crystal oscillator 106C used for a timer function, a time display function or the like is fixed via adhesive agent 107 to wiring substrate 102 in order to prevent crystal oscillator 106C from being damaged. Therefore, its assembling (e.g., application or solidification of adhesive agent 107) tends to take time and cause a cost increase of the remote control transmitter.